With timing running out to comment on proposed increases in entrance fees at Zion and Bryce Canyon national parks, as well as Cedar Breaks National Monument, all in Utah, the National Park Service has scheduled an open house to discuss the proposals with the public. Park superintendents and staff from all three park areas will be in attendance.

Winter's heavy snows are starting to fall across the high country in parts of Utah, and at Cedar Breaks National Monument that means one access route to the monument has closed. It also means the monument will be a great destination for snowshoers and even cross-country skiers.

The state of Utah, which has given the federal government until year's end to turn over roughly 30 million acres of public lands, has not legal basis to make such a claim, according to a legal analysis of the issue.

When planning a national park camping trip, many RVing newbies are surprised to learn that a stay in these public campgrounds is quite different from the usual RV park experience. From 1950s-era campgrounds with short parking aprons that are unsuitable for modern RVs, to strict generator use hours, the learning curve can be steep for inexperienced RVers. If you're a new RV traveler and considering a national park campground visit, here are five simple ways to have a great RV camping experience.

Stunning crimson and brilliant golden sandstone formations paint a truly unique landscape in any season. Cedar Breaks National Monument is home to spectacular views of a three-mile wide, half-mile deep natural amphitheater. Visitors are welcome to experience a variety of activities available within the park. Warm summer months sweep hiking trails with vibrant wildflowers from late June through August.

Congressional efforts to dictate paddling rules in Yellowstone and Grand Teton national parks, a poster contest at Cedar Breaks National Monument, and cleaner air for Grand Canyon National Park are just some of the topics swirling about the National Park System.

Wondering which national parks have been able to reopen with state funding? Here's a list, and the dates the parks are to remain open...barring some resolution in Washington or more funding from the states.

Fall colors contrast magnificently with the ruddy foundation of the Markagunt Plateau at Cedar Breaks National Monument in Utah. If you can work it into your schedule, you can enjoy that contrast as the monument celebrates its Fall Nature Festival this weekend

When it comes to cycling events in national parks, how heavily should the National Park Service weigh whether an event is a professional race when deciding if it's a worthwhile event, and what other factors should it take into consideration?

Federal lands make up the majority of Utah's landscape, so it shouldn't be surprising that state roads crisscross those lands. But when a state road crosses a national park, and that road is going to be traversed by a bike race, should National Park Service approval be required?

Will expanded wireless service for cellphones and the Internet enhance your national park experience, or will it clutter it with a technological Disneyification of the parks, one that will detract from, not add to, the national park experience?

Utah's collection of national parks, monuments, and historic sites helped generate $6.5 billion in tourism spending for the state in 2010, an increase of nearly 5 percent, according to state calculations.

In this guest column, RL Miller, a California-based attorney who keeps watch on environmental issues on public lands, questions the wisdom of allowing the Coal Hollow Mine to expand to more than 3,500 acres near Bryce Canyon National Park.

The list seems to be going on and on in the Rockies and Sierra this spring: too much snow is complicating openings of national parks for the summer season. One of the latest casualties is Cedar Breaks National Monument in Utah, where crews are still trying to open the road.

With a potent winter storm dumping multiple feet of snow on Utah's high country, the timing couldn't be much better for the annual cross country ski and snowshoe event at Cedar Breaks National Monument in southern Utah.

It's hard to beat autumn for prime hiking in parks from coast to coast. This season brings fine weather to most of the country and in many locations fall foliage is an added bonus. There are more hikes in national parks that we can take in a lifetime, so here are a few suggestions for some great ones all across the nation—including some alternatives to the most heavily-visited sites.

While the big five -- Arches, Bryce Canyon, Canyonlands, Capitol Reef, and Zion -- get most of the attention in Utah, Cedar Breaks National Monument is certainly no slouch. With Methuselah trees and a colorful amphitheater that would embarrass Crayola, Cedar Breaks should be on your itinerary.